Notices respecting New Books. 515 



and the younger generation is acting in, and influencing, our times ; 

 to condemn or to reward us. Controversial letters on the educa- 

 tional questions agitating his own University are wisely omitted 

 from the collection of his writings as heing of passing and local 

 interest only. 



In the resurrection and collection of EitzGerald's important 

 shorter letters published in various contemporary Journals, 

 Professor Larmor confers a particular benefit. EitzGerald was so 

 busy a man in discharging the duties towards his chair, towards 

 societies and committees in his own city, and towards a wide circle 

 of friends, that many valuable ideas were given to the world in 

 such a form that from the ephemeral nature of their surroundings 

 ihey were apt to be lost to those coming after. 



The volume concludes with a contribution from the editor on 

 the subject of the experiment suggested by FitzGerald shortly before 

 his death as to whether convection through the sether can be 

 detected electrically. Dr. Troutons paper on this subject — 

 reprinted from the Scientific Transactions of the Royal Dublin 

 Society — is also given and will be read with interest. The editor 

 in his introduction also discusses this subject, the interest of which 

 is increased by the recent paper of Dr. Hicks's appearing in the 

 Philosophical Magazine of last January. It is noteworthy that 

 the idea of deriving energy from a relative motion of the Earth 

 and the aether was in FitzGerald's mind when he penned his 

 review of Professor Larmor's 'JEtker aud Matter' (p. 514) already 

 referred to. 



The editor takes occasion to acknowledge the able assistance he 

 received from Professor W. E. Thrift — EitzGerald's successor to 

 the Erasmus Smith Chair of Experimental Physics — more especially 

 in the revision of the mathematical papers. A beautiful and 

 prized addition to the volume is the portrait presented by Mr. J. W. 

 Swan, E.E.S. Many who have enjoyed the friendship of the great 

 original — aud they are many — will be grateful for it. It is 

 absolutely faithful. J. J. 



A travers La MatUre et VEnergie. Par le Docteur E.-E. Blaise. 



68 photogravures dans le texte. Paris : Librairie Ch. Delagrave. 



Pp. 344. 

 This book is about the queerest medley of scrappy science and 

 somewhat rash speculation which we have ever come across. The 

 author attempts to develop a system of philosophy which — 

 according to his own estimate — throws a flood of light on the 

 many mysteries of human existence. In a footnote to p. 336, 

 he informs us that for some twelve to fifteen years he lived a 

 confirmed atheist and materialist : a perusal of the book would 

 have led us to the conclusion that the mental history of its author 

 must have been a very chequered one. We hardly think it 

 necessary to enter into any detailed criticism. Some idea of the 

 book may, however, be gathered from the headings of the chapters. 

 One of these is " Magneto- and Dynamo-Electric Machines " ; 



